William H. Cate, 78, Kingsport, died at his home Saturday March 10, 2007.
Bill fought a brave and valiant battle with cancer. Although he was confined to his bed, his smile and personality permeated the atmosphere with his love for life and for his family. While his body is lost, his memory will live on in the hearts and minds of his close-knit family and friends.
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on July 20, 1928, Bill served in the U.S. Army as a Sergeant in the Quartermasters Corps. He graduated for the University of Tennessee, College of Law in 1952. A man of big passions and fiery intellect, Bill worked hard and enjoyed over 50 successful years as an attorney; the last years in Kingsport with Wright & Cate, where his clients and colleagues knew him for his fairness, his ability, and his passion for the law.
Mr. Cate was an esteemed citizen of the City of Kingsport. He was a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, Sigma Nu Fraternity, and the BPOE in Buckhead, GA. He was also a member of the First Broad Street United Methodist Church and the Gourmet Cooking Club in Kingsport, TN.
Bill was unforgettable. Taken from us too soon, he has left a gaping absence in our lives, but in passing he reminds us of the value of the life and family he leaves behind. A loving and generous man, with strong character and convictions, he will be forever remembered as a wonderful father, step-father, brother, grandfather, and a respected friend and colleague.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Sue L. Cate; parents, Charles Ernest and Ina Martha Jollay Cate; brother, Charles Ernest; and sister, Mary Ellen Sparks.
Surviving are his two children, daughter, Leslie Elizabeth and son, Julian Lindsey, both of Orlando, FL; four step-children, Patricia G. Powell of Destin, FL, David D. Powell, Jr. of Alexandria, VA, Pamela L. Powell of Knoxville, TN, and Paula A. Powell of Kingsport; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brothers, James W. Cate of Lawrenceville, GA, Ralph E. Cate of Greensboro, NC; sisters, Evelyn Hodge of Lakeland, FL, Martha Blair of Goose Creek, SC, Margaret Phillips of Charleston, SC, and Dorothy Gambrell of Ft. Mill, SC.
The family will receive friends Tuesday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at First Broad Street United Methodist Church. Services will be at 7:00 p.m. with Rev. Jack Edwards officiating.
Graveside services will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at Oak Hill Memorial Park. Family and friends are asked to meet at the cemetery at 9:45 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Adventa Hospice Services, 2612 N. John B. Dennis Hwy., Suite 3, Kingsport, TN 37660.